Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Speaks in Rochester, N. Y.: “Some Phases of the Labor Movement; or, Socialism and Civilization.”

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Quote EVD, Socialist Ripe Trade Unionist, WLUC p45, May 31, 1902—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 22, 1903
Rochester, New York – Eugene Debs Speaks on Socialism and the Labor Movement

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York) of February 9, 1903:

SOME PHASES OF LABOR MOVEMENT
———-

ADDRESS OF EUGENE V. DEBS AT FITZHUGH HALL.
———-

THE WORKINGMAN’S HOPE
———-
Socialistic Programme Set Forth as
the Need of the People-The Tool of Production

-Reflections on Trusts-Panic Prophesied.
———-

EVD, LW p1, Aug 30, 1902

Eugene V. Debs, of Denver, Col., the prominent labor leader and Socialist, spoke at Fitzhugh Hall yesterday afternoon, under the auspices of the Labor Lyceum. His subject was “Some Phases of the Labor Movement; or, Socialism and Civilization.” Mr. Debs was given an enthusiastic reception, and for two hours he had the close attention of the audience. The seats on the floor of the hall were filled and but few were empty in the gallery.

Phillip Jackson presided at the meeting and made a few remarks, after which he introduced Mr. Debs. In his eloquent address, Mr. Debs said, in part:

The labor question broadly stated is the question of all humanity and upon its just solution depend the peace of society and the survival of civilization. The central and controlling fact of civilization is the evolution of industry.

A little over a century and a quarter ago, the American colonists were compelled to declare their political independence. The people were then engaged largely in agricultural pursuits, what they manufactured was produced in simple and primitive ways and they used with their hands the tools with which they did their work. The problem of making a living was a comparatively easy one. Each man could with the product of his own labor satisfy his own wants.

Long ago the too simple tool of those days was touched by the magic want of invention, until its mechanism has now become marvelously complex. In the great modern industrial evolution, the workingman has suffered, and because of his ignorance has allowed the tool of production to pass from his grasp. The cunning that was in the hand of labor has passed into the machine. As competition has become keen, handicraft has been succeeded more and more by the machine work, until skilled labor has become common labor; the struggle for existence became so hard that woman was forced into the labor market and become a factor in industrial conditions.

As the evolution of machinery has continually progressed, it has been found that many of these could be operated by the deft touch of children, until now 3 million of these have been forced into the labor market in competition with men and women. This has resulted from the system that makes profit the all-important consideration and life of little importance. There must be cheap labor in spite of its effects on the lives of human beings.

The state of Alabama once had a law against child labor. The time is coming, however, when competition will force manufacturers to operate their factories where the raw materials are produced. This has already been done by the New England manufacturers. They went to the lawmakers of Alabama and said: “We must have cheap labor if we are to compete in the markets of the world, and in order to do this, we must employ the children in our mills. You have a law against the employment of children in this state. We should like it to come here, but, if this is enforced, it will compel us to go elsewhere.” What was the result? Today there is no law against the employment of children in Alabama.

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Hellraisers Journal: Ida Braeman, Garment Striker, Age 17, Shot Down in Cold Blood by Clothing Manufacturer at Rochester, N. Y.

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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, ed, Ab Chp 6, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday February 20, 1913
Rochester, New York – Ida Braeman, 17-Year-Old Striker, Shot Down by Boss

From the Chicago Day Book of February 6, 1913:

KILLS GIRL STRIKER WITH SHOT GUN

Ida Braeman, Labor Martyr, Rochester NY Feb 5, 1913

Rochester, N. Y., Feb. 6.-Ira Braeman, 17 years old, was shot and killed in cold blood by Valentine Sauter here last night.

Ida Braeman was a girl of the garment workers’ strike. Sauter is a clothing manufacturer.

Every labor union in Rochester will unite in the effort to push the charge of murder in the first degree against Sauter.

Sauter was in his shop when a group of strikers gathered outside and called to the strikebreakers within to quit work and join them.

Sauter picked up a shotgun and went to a window. He fired point-blank into the little group of girl strikers.

Ida Braeman was killed instantly; three others were wounded.

Sauter’s shot scattered the strikers, but when they saw the body of Ida Braeman lying in the street they came back, and only the arrival of the police prevented Sauter’s shop being torn down about his head. On the way to the station, the police had to use their clubs to protect the man.

Sauter says he fired because he thought his property was in danger.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

From Solidarity of February 15, 1913:

re Murder of Striker Ida Braeman, Sol p1, Feb 15, 1913

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Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: “The New York Garment Workers” by Mary E. Marcy, Part I

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Rose Schneiderman Quote, Stand Together to Resist Mar 20, NY Independent p938, Apr 1905—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 3, 1913
New York, New York – The Garment Strike by Mary Marcy, Photos by Paul Thompson

From the International Socialist Review of February 1913:

HdLn NY Garment Workers by M Marcy, CRTN Walker Solidarity Hand, ISR p583, Feb 1913

[Part I of III]

A WALKOUT which may yet involve every garment worker in the nation, was started in New York City, December 30th, when scores of thousands of men and women employed in the garment industries responded to the call issued by the United Garment Workers of America and deserted the shops and benches where they had toiled for years.

The response to the strike call was so great that the union officials declared the union was a great deal stronger than they had believed. One thousand five hundred volunteer red scouts, who were picked to carry the official strike declaration, were on the job at 4:00 o’clock in the morning ready to start out with bundles of strike orders to be distributed in all sections of the Lower East Side. Before night over 100,000 men, women and children had taken their working paraphernalia home to begin the good fight.

The garment workers are striking for:

The abolition of the subcontracting system.
The abolition of foot power.
That no work be given out to be done in tenement houses.
Overtime to be paid for at the rate of time and one half, double time for holidays.
A forty-eight hour work week.
A general wage increase of 20 per cent for all the workers in the garment industry.

The following scale of wages:
Operators-First class, sewing around coats, sewing in sleeves, and pocket makers, $25 per week; second class, lining makers, closers and coat stitchers, $22; third class, sleeve makers and all other machine workers, $16.
Tailors-First class, shapers, underbasters and fitters, $24; second class, edge basters, canvas basters, collar makers, lining basters and bushelers, $21; third class, armhole basters, sleeve makers, and all other tailoring, $17.
Pressers-Bushel pressers, $24; regular pressers, second class, $24; underpressers and edge pressers, $18.
Women and Child Workers-Button sewers and bushel hands, $12; hand buttonhole makers, first class, 3½ cents; second class, sack coats, 2½ cents; feller hands, not less than $10 a week.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: “The New York Garment Workers” by Mary E. Marcy, Part I”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for April 1909, Part II: Found in Western New York

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Quote Mother Jones, Injunction Shroud, Bff Exp p7, Apr 24, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday May 10, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for April 1909, Part II:
-Found in Speaking and Touring in Western New York

After being disappointed by her missed visit last February, the working men and women of Olean, New York, were pleased to welcome Mother Jones into their midst for a speech given Tuesday evening, April 20th.

From the Olean Evening Times of April 19, 1909:

Mother Jones, Dnv Pst p2, July 19, 1908

Reception Tonight-This evening Mother Jones will arrive in Olean, and will be given a reception in the Trades and Labor Council hall at 8 o’clock, at which time those who desire will be given an opportunity to meet her. Tomorrow evening she will deliver an address in the opera house on “Peonage in Mexico, and what it means to the American workingman.” The meeting will be called to order by Elmer E. Evans and August Klenke will act as chairman. An invitation has been extended to the officers of all the local labor organizations to take seats on the platform. Music for the occasion will be furnished by the Red Mens’ band. It is anticipated that the opera house will be filled, and those desiring seats are advised to be early.

[…..]

Peon Labor and Its Effects on American Workmen, will be the subject of Mother Jones’ lecture at the opera house Tuesday night.

When miners were evicted because they dared to strike for more wages it was Mother Jones, who will speak at the opera house Tuesday night, took the wives and children to the woods and sheltered them in tents and secured food for them until the strike was won.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Joseph Wanhope, Socialist Candidate for Governor of New York, Boards the Red Special at Buffalo

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Quote EVD re Political Scabbing, AtR p2, Oct 3, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 23, 1908
Joseph Wanhope Comes Aboard the Red Special at Buffalo

From the Montana News of October 15, 1908:

ENTHUSIASM UNRIVALED
——

TREMENDOUS ARDOR REMINDS OLD RESIDENTS
OF LINCOLN’S CAMPAIGN.
—–

RED FLAGS FLYING
—–
People Greet Debs as Social Deliverer
-Huge Masses Pack Streets
-Capitalist Papers Break Silence Acknowledging
the Popularity of Socialism.
—–

[Continued.]

Wanhope on “Special.”

SPA Joseph Wanhope for NY Governor, Wilshire's 446, Sept 1908

Joe Wanhope and W. H. Leffingwell of Wilshire’s Magazine came aboard at Buffalo, and the expert work of Wanhope livened up the speech making during the day. Leffingwell made the collection appeal and literature talks. Wanhope came on his own trip, as the state committee of New York made no arrangements whatever to have him aboard, as requested by the national organization.

Thomas J. Mooney, a union iron molder who joined the special at San Jose, has been selling literature ever since and has made a record. At every evening meeting he is in the hall early and makes a “literature talk” that increases interest in the books offered and increases sales. He hopes to attend the University of Chicago this winter to add to his equipment as a labor agitator on the soap box and by writing.

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Hellraisers Journal: Suffragist Picket Now in Prison & Susan B. Anthony Remembered by Eugene Debs

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EVD Quote, Susan B Anthony, Pearson's Mag, July 1917

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday October 25, 1917
Occoquan Workhouse, Virginia – Photograph of Abby Scott Baker

From Indiana’s Richmond Palladium of October 22, 1917:

Suffragists, Abby Scott Baker, Prison, Rmd IN Pldm, Oct 22, 1917

Here are shown two photographs of Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, one of the most prominent women members of army set in Washington, recently arrested with other militant suffragists outside the White House and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in the workhouse at Occoquan.

The first photograph depicts her in evening dress, and the second shows her in the coarse uniform given her after she had begun serving her sentence. This uniform consists of underwear made of ticking, thick cotton socks, man’s size shoes with the soles worn through, and a blue gingham apron held at the waist with a string that also served as a corset. In the pocket of the apron she carried a comb and tooth brush, given her by the officials of the workhouse.

———-

DEBS REMEMBERS SUSAN B. ANTHONY

While the suffragists picketing the White House in Washington D. C. are being dragged off to jail, we offer this remembrance of Susan B. Anthony, whose long and unrelenting struggle for full citizenship these brave women carry on. The fond memorial tribute to Miss Anthony is gleaned from an article by Eugene V. Debs which appeared in the July 1917 edition of Pearson’s Magazine. (We urge our readers to seek out the entire article):

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